


Aldnoah.Zero: The Different Story

by PersonalityTest



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, Gen, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-03
Updated: 2015-05-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 04:28:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3474437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PersonalityTest/pseuds/PersonalityTest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are no miracles.<br/>The only thing that matters are choices.<br/>And when he was standing in front of a crossroad, where only one choice could lead to that light at the end of the tunnel...<br/>If he had chosen the other road, he would not be here to look up at the steel-gray barrel pressed to his forehead. He would not be waiting for the comfort of that final bullet. There could have been another future, one more lonely and utterly hopeless, but one nevertheless.<br/>But it's too late for what could have been.<br/>The sound of a trigger being pulled. The red-hot flash of a bullet. And then nothing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I'm still pissed off about the first season. And second season. Honestly I'm just watching to see how everyone can mess it up and how the fandom is going to hate Slaine next time. However, it doesn't mean this show doesn't (or didn't) have the potential for greatness. With just a few tweaks to the first few episodes, it could've become something epic. This is just my take at making something sensible out of this universe, but I hope you like it!  
> (sorry for the stupid summary though - will fix it at a later date)

Even if the entire world becomes your enemy,  
I will always protect you,   
so just be yourself and smile.

\- Servant of Evil, Kagamine Len -

* * *

One.

_No, I…I didn’t mean to…_

_The gun… He moved, and I shot on reflex, and…_

_He…did he mean what he was saying? The Princess…_

_Kill…?_

_He wants to…_

Two, three.

_H-How dare he…_

_I won’t forgive him. I won’t forgive him! I’ll kill him!_

_Anyone who wishes to harm the Princess…_

_I’ll kill them with my own hands!_

Four.

_He tried to assassinate Her Highness._

_He’s going to do it again._

_Murderer. Traitor. Sacrilege towards the princess._

_I’ll kill him._

_Die…_

_Whoever dares to hurt her, whoever tries to take her smile away…_

_Should just **die**._

Five.

* * *

 

For a while, his mind was blank. He doesn’t remember fleeing the scene. He doesn’t remember getting into the Sky Carrier and taking off as the first meteor hits the ground, sending up clouds of dirt and debris.

He remembers the way that handgun felt in his hands.

For that one moment…he was in control.

Trillram was all bark and no bite. When faced with a gun, when staring at the face of death, he was no different from a lowly, inferior insect. Pathetic. Laughable. He should be ready to die for his cause like a true soldier. He didn’t. He was a coward, annoying and idiotic until the end.

He’s dead anyway. Terran, Martian, royalty, knight, servant, none of it matters when they’re dead. Corpses are just corpses. There is no difference between the blessed and the damned.

_I finally understand what you mean, Princess Asseylum._

_Why does it matter whether we are Terrans or Martians? Why must I be mistreated just because of my birth, when we are not so different after all? If we’re all the same in death, why am I here? Why am I a servant, someone, something to be laughed and scoffed at like a curse?_

_Just disappear already._

_You nobles pretend you’re above everyone else. Look at you now. When your eyes are glazed over and glassy, and your blood taints the ground and you can’t, can’t laugh at me or hurt me anymore, can you pretend anymore? You can’t, can’t you? Dead people can’t do anything! They’re just dead, unmoving, incapable of love or hate or anything else!_

_How comforting. How incredibly satisfactory. Seeing your dead body, knowing you will never, ever be able to hurt Princess Asseylum –_

Princess Asseylum.

His fingernails dig into his palm, leaving crescent-shaped bruises and forcing his mind to focus.

There is no time for hatred and cruel satisfaction.

The Princess.

She’s alive. The princess is alive, against all odds. She has shown herself. And now that Trillram is dead, she’s safe, at least for this moment.

A miracle.

It can be nothing but a miracle.

Finally, finally, something has gone right in this messed-up, needlessly cruel world he lives in. Slaine can feel tears prickling at the corner of his eyes and it’s as if the weight of the world has finally been taken off his shoulders because she’s alive and she’s safe -

_“If I let her live, my entire clan and its followers will be branded as traitors!”_

Not yet. He can’t let his guard down yet. There are some who will still try to trample on her dream. Her countrymen will use her heartfelt wish for peace as their just cause for war. They consider her to be nothing more than a sacrificial piece. How ridiculous. Her Highness’ life cannot be traded for Earth. No amount of treasure or resources is worth her life.

Anyone who dares to think that will be executed. He will make sure of that, eventually.

But for now, those traitors remain at the heart of the kingdom. They are resolute on making Her Highness a martyr. They are willing to kill the princess they have sworn loyalty to to further their own ends.

Do Martians…even honor their promises at all? They constantly preach about pride and valor in battle, they scorn and scoff at him for being a lowly Terran with no honor to his name, and yet they would turn on one of their own?

Hypocrites. All of them. Hypocritical, arrogant, traitorous lowlifes who won’t amount to anything at the end, undeserving of the trust the Princess placed in them.

Why...why couldn’t it have been him instead?

Slaine would have done anything for her. He could have traded whatever was left of his life to serve as her knight and protector. He never would have betrayed her or destroyed her ideals.

But instead, he’s here. In front of the corpse of a traitor, the Princess a fleeting shadow that has gone too far out of his sight - and the thought makes Slaine’s newly-restored world order threaten to come crashing down again.

_I can’t let that happen._

_I won’t let her fight alone. I’ll never leave her again._

The Sky Carrier beeps furiously as they fly towards the outer atmosphere, as if reminding him of his orders.

Orders…?

Count Cruhteo ordered him to return to Mars.

To be hated again, completely friendless and powerless again. What does it matter? It’s the same to them. As long as they get something out of it, they don’t care, not about a lowly Terran, not even about their princess. She’s just an obstacle, _collateral damage_ , and those words make him sick to the stomach.

How dare they.

Unforgivable.

Nobody cares about her.

Not the Vers Empire.

Not the ignorant, oblivious sham of a grandfather.

_Certainly_ not those Knights.

He can’t trust them.

Princess Asseylum. Only the Princess.

The princess is the only one he can trust anymore. Everyone is lying. Everyone is looking to exploit her and trap her, like a bird in a cage, because of that cursed power. Cruhteo. Trillram. Saazbaum. He can’t trust them. Liars. Traitors. Hypocritical excuses of royalty. They aren’t worth a fraction of the Princess’ attention.

Fine, then. It’s fine if no one helps her with her dream. It’s fine if the whole world turns against her. In those hopeless days where the only light in his life were memories of her, Slaine made a promise to himself - he will be her only ally. If she wants peace, then he will fight for peace until his death. If the universe stands in her way, he will destroy the universe to further her goals. The one and only knight. The only person that will remain loyal even if her world crashes down around her.

He promised to show her the Earth. He promised himself that he would protect her. And call it reckless honor, stupidity or anything else, Slaine doesn’t break his promises to the only person who ever mattered to him.

The next thing he knows, the Sky Carrier is veering left and descending; away from the sky, the Cruhteo Landing Castle, where nothing and no one will be left for him to dream of anymore; away from the treacherous kingdom that exiled its goddess.

Towards Princess Asseylum.

  



	2. 1. in inceptum finis est

Chapter 1: in inceptum finis est

_The final runner dashes towards the end,_  
_trampling over the ruins of the leading role_  
_The Earth's final chance,_  
_Contrary to expectations, was irresponsibly entrusted to me._

Reincarnation – GUMI & Kagamine Rin

* * *

That foreign looking girl…

Ah. She never told him her name.

What a strange girl.

No rational 'tourist' would act like she did. In an extreme situation where there's no telling when an enemy will come, human beings aren't known for remaining calm and rational. It is instinct to want to clear away from the line of fire as much as possible, especially when you are a tourist, unprepared for a full-blown war.

In fact, that girl acts like she has a part to play in this war. She acts like she's responsible for fighting. She wants to help as much she can and charges straight into the battlefield regardless of her own life, which is completely incomprehensible.

Assuming she is telling the truth. Even if she is a foreigner, she wants to help out. She is willing to risk her life for a cause she has no concern being involved with.

…Or is it?

People tend to avoid trouble. Most only deal with problems when it is their responsibility to do so. Then, assuming she is responsible.

Responsibility.

Foreigner.

That young girl constantly with her.

The name 'Seylum'.

" _We wish to inform our people that we are safe."_

Multicolored light floods his field of vision.

"Let us try that again. I am Asseylum Vers Allusia. Emperor Vers' granddaughter."

* * *

For a few moments, the steel-plated, dusty storeroom is full of silence - the kind of tenseness one would experience when walking on a thin wire fifteen metres up. The redhead behind him holds her breath - for what, Inaho doesn't know, but he has a few theories, none of which are credible as of yet. He still needs more data. The maid, like the child she is, is getting uncomfortable and annoyed at the tension in the air. The princess waits with bated breath for a reaction. Meanwhile...

Inaho wonders if it would be rude to say the honored princess lacks subtlety.

It's true nonetheless; but he supposes people will get angry if he says that out of the blue. Inko certainly does. Inaho blinks once, twice, and settles for the best surprised expression he can make, to not offend her if nothing else. "That's the real you?"

She says some lines of overly formal and archaic dialogue that essentially boils down to 'a disguise'. Offhandedly, Inaho wonders if he can make it back in time for dinner if this keeps going on. Then, remembering she is still patiently waiting for his reply and according to Inko he needs to practice making small talk anyway, Inaho jumps straight to the point.

What she says seems to be in line with her actions so far, so he has no reason to doubt her. Of course, if the true princess were here, then she was not assassinated. The whole thing he saw could have been a hologram like the disguise she used or simply a body double in case something like this happens. The princess might have foreseen this happening, or she might simply have been sick and was unable to attend the parade. Inaho can figure out that part, but he asks anyway out of pure courtesy and to keep her talking. Inko would be proud.

…So it _was_ a body double. It doesn't matter either way. Dead people can't really resent anyone, so it seems rather impractical for her to be so downcast. Servants die for their masters all the time, and especially in times of war. And if this servant was important to her, she can avenge that girl just like he's doing for Okisuke. Inaho doesn't tell her this, though; she probably wouldn't understand. He doesn't like explaining things to people who can't understand. It's a waste of energy.

"I wish to get in touch with Vers as soon as possible."

"How?" Even as he says it, Inaho is already formulating a plan. "At the very least, it would be difficult to do from here. Their jamming makes long-range communications impossible. And our telecommunications bases have been destroyed, so we can't use the Net, either."

However, it is not impossible. If the Vers Empire could transmit messages to Earth, they could do the same. Maybe the UFE Headquarters have something that can be of use. Even if they don't, it's not completely impossible. The Martian Kataphrakt they destroyed, for example, could be used for communications. Earth could take down a few Martian soldiers and use their comm link. However, that means they run a risk of exposing the princess to her assassins. Even the UFE is not reliable.

No, they need something more effective. A spy, maybe. Someone with a high enough ranking to enter one of the Landing Castles, and wily enough to contact the Emperor without anyone else knowing. However, they simply couldn't find anyone like that.

"…But we can take you to a facility that can contact the Vers government." He decides to tell her the short version. It is rather tedious to have to tell someone who won't understand. "I'll talk to my sister Yuki and the others about it –"

"You mustn't do that! There is a Vers spy hidden amongst the Terrans!" The maid interrupts him rather rudely.

Of course. How else would they kill the princess? Inaho resists the urge to roll his eyes a little. He was planning to feed Yuki-nee some lies about going to the UFE Headquarters for support, but sure, if that is Her Highness' orders, he isn't in the mood to object.

The redhead behind him gasps. She may be surprised, or maybe…

Well, no matter. Even if she is the spy, it is quite hard to escape from this ship. Besides, Inaho and this girl are the only ones who know Seylum's true identity. If she is harmed in any way, Inaho will know. Even this redhead, who still has an enemy to fight and Martians to kill, won't throw away her life so easily. He can deal with her later.

"In league with those assassins, no doubt! The spy wishes to see Her Highness dead!" The little girl goes on and on about nonsense everybody already knows.

…Maybe he's going to waste all night here after all.

* * *

Rayet Areash.

He's going to have to keep an eye on her.

* * *

"I will speak with that knight," says Seylum, already marching towards the door.

He wonders why she isn't dead yet.

…Ah, so she's the type who values honor above reason. Again, Inaho wonders why she isn't dead yet. She might be extremely talented or powerful, or she may just have enough luck to win several lotteries. He suspects it's more of the latter.

"Please stay here." _Because you're being unnecessarily obstinate and suicidal_ , but he decides it might be too rude to say that last part. The truth tends to not go over well with most people. "Stay here," Inaho says once more for emphasis, and leaves without another word.

He wonders if that was too rude.

Maybe he's going to have to apologize to her later.

Or maybe he won't. He might not even make it back alive.

* * *

For two ant-sized Terran Kataphrakts versus a superpowered, laser beam-equipped, massive Martian one, the battle goes as well as can be expected.

Calm comes along with him. He makes good support, but he isn't that fit for combat, so Inaho wonders why he's charging into the line of fire. If Calm is anything like Seylum, he might as well sign his death sentence right then and there. Inaho doesn't really understand why someone who is unfit will just recklessly fight like that. It seems rather foolish and a needless waste of lives.

Nevertheless, he appreciates the latter's courage. Regardless of whether Calm is going into combat to help Inaho or just out of a misdirected sense of justice, he's brave enough to actually fight. Inaho supposes he deserves praise from the higher-ups for that alone. So, Inaho will protect him so that Calm gets the recognition he deserves. He so does hate to leave a debt unpaid.

The plan goes well enough. They deflected the Martian Kataphrakt for around five seconds or so. Maybe he can increase it to ten next time.

Either way, it's useless to try and hit that guy again. That Martian guy already knows the trick – he won't be fooled this time. Inaho wonders why Inko even bothers. She's as reckless as the rest of them. She keeps saying he doesn't know how to make small talk, but she can't be rational in combat. Maybe he can retort that next time she chides him about his antisocialism. If they survive this time.

They probably won't.

Just as he thinks they won't make it and wonders where his plan went wrong, a missile hits the side of the Kataphrakt. The huge robots stumbles out of his field of vision, and for a second Inaho can see a huge battleship approaching from afar.

About time the cavalry arrived. However, something seems off – the barrel of the head cannon…

Normally, when a missile is fired, it will leave a smoke trail or a fire trail starting from the cannon from which it came. Therefore, the trail should start from those incoming ships. However, the dissipating smoke trail this missile created curves upwards, meaning it was fired from a plane.

It's definitely not from the Terran side. Inaho would know if it were Terrans battle aircrafts – their paint makes them rather hard to miss in the sunset sky – and they would never fire without prior warning. And to disappear from sight so quickly – an expert, then. A fighter plane equipped with missiles and manned by an expert pilot, who somehow wasn't shot down by the enemy Kataphrakt. And since stealth aircrafts aren't utilized by the UEF because they are too expensive to make, only one craft could have escaped the purple Kat unharmed.

The 'Bat', its carrier. The one who nearly ruined Inaho's plan.

Then, why would that carrier attack one of its own? Did it hit this Martian Kataphrakt by accident? No, it is impossible. That missile hit the side of that robot. The pilot must have known that that Kat couldn't move out of the way so quickly. So it was intentional.

...Why?

Inaho doesn't have time to ponder the question. He can always think about it later. For now, his priority is to escape the line of fire while their allies distract the enemy.

After a few rounds of gunfire, the Kataphrakt flies off. The air is tranquil once more, albeit a little chilly now that the action is all over and the laser beam sword is gone.

…It's probably going to come back, though. If these nobles are anything like Seylum, they will put their honor before their lives. Honestly, they can all learn some common sense. But with a power like Aldnoah, Inaho supposes common sense is too extraneous a concept.

"Exactly as planned, huh?" smiles Calm, relaxing in the salty scent of the sea and reverting back to his relaxed, happy-go-lucky self.

Inaho feels inclined to disagree. That was a rather close call. They could have died. He needs to think more before making a plan. This time he's had too many distractions. Calm, Seylum, the sudden appearance of Terran battleships, and the strange assistance from an enemy. It's going to give him a headache.

And then, in a corner of his vision, Inaho thinks he can see something. A shadow dashing here and there, hiding behind cardboard boxes and surreptitiously making its way to the ship.

About time.

"You two head back first," he tells Inko and Calm. "I'll catch up."

"H-Hey! Inaho! Where are you going?" Inko is surprised, but otherwise she doesn't stop him. She must know that it's quite an impossible feat by now. At least it saves him some time explaining or making up excuses.

He needs to catch that pilot before he infiltrates the ship and ask his motives for saving them from that Kataphrakt. An interloper? No, that plane was carrying the Kat with the dimensional barrier and aided it in battle. A rivalry within the aristocracy? Possible. If that's the case, Inaho has to capture him and make use of the information he has, and eliminate a threat to Seylum while he's at it.

He rounds the corner; the next thing he knows, he's flying in the air, weightless and taken by surprise, and in the blink of an eye someone has pinned him to the wall, a hand closing in on his neck.

Sloppy martial arts skills, he notes. Possibly little in-depth training and just instinctive self-defense. Reaction time is slow; it's a shame Inaho was unprepared. No matter. If he can create a distraction, he probably can overpower this amateur.

"I saw it. You are the rider of that orange Kataphrakt." Judging from his voice, the pilot seems to be a teenager his age. Interesting. Inaho wonders if he's a genius in combat to be drafted so early – but then again, judging from his subpar hand-to-hand combat skills, not really.

"I am," he affirms. Might as well get to the point. He doesn't really like being kept in a chokehold. It's uncomfortable.

"Where is Princess Asseylum?"

The pilot also gets to the point. Inaho supposes he can respect that. At least he can waste less time talking nonsense. He would have smiled if it weren't for the hand cutting off his air supply.

"I believe she was publicly executed yesterday."

Judging from those narrowed blue eyes, the soldier doesn't buy it. "Liar. You were with her when you felled Nilokeras. Where is she!?"

Hm, so the name of the Kataphrakt with the barrier is Nilokeras. It seems as tedious a name as Asseylum Vers Allusia, though every Martian around will probably be out for his blood if he says that. If Inaho remembers correctly, though, the name originated from Greek Mythology (he'll have to ask Calm about it later), so it's not entirely inane. A name like Asseylum, on the other hand…

Ah, that guy is waiting for a reply, and Inaho's neck is aching. He should get on with it, never mind the formalities.

"You saw it." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement. So the pilot survived the meteor bombardment. He may or may not have saved the person operating Nilokeras, and they may be planning to assassinate Seylum once again. "You know the princess is alive, then. Are you planning to kill her again?"

The pilot jerks back, as if Inaho has gone nuts. He begs to differ. "What!? No! I –"

Good. He riled him up. One second of distraction is all he will ne –

"Inaho-san?" He hears Seylum's voice from somewhere behind him, and both of them freeze. "Inaho-san, where are you?"

This is bad.

He wanted to overturn the situation while his assailant was distracted. But now that Seylum is here, this complicates things.

Inaho didn't expect Seylum to come out here. The pilot heard her, too. This makes everything a lot more difficult. No matter – he can still think of a way to escape. If his hypothesis is correct, the guy will make killing her a priority and release Inaho. He won't take him as a hostage – he can't risk anyone coming here and ruining his assassination plot. Then, in that split second, Inaho can fight back and overpower him. Probably.

"P-Princess Asseylum?" the pilot mutters disbelievingly. "Princess…is it really…?"

The pilot, contrary to Inaho's expectations, doesn't move. He is frozen on the spot. His eyes are wide, unblinking, glued to the direction where Seylum's voice can be heard.

It doesn't make any sense.

Inaho wonders if there is something about Martians he can't read. Their actions are always so illogical. They never act rationally and so he can never deduce what they are going to do next, unlike his comrades. Seylum, that last Kataphrakt, this pilot…they seem to be operating on entirely different wavelengths. He can't understand them.

Seylum rounds the corner and freezes on the spot. Her little servant crashes into her back, nearly making them both topple over.

"Inaho…san…? Why – who is – who are you – "

"Princess Asseylum…?" The pilot's voice trails off. "Princess…is it really…"

"That voice…Slaine?" She squints her eyes to make out his shadowed face. "It's…really you. What are you doing –"

" _Princess!_ "

Throwing Inaho aside, the pilot – Slaine, she said – dashes towards her. Inaho doesn't even have time to scream at her to run. His body hits the ground like a rag doll, and he thinks one of his ribs cracked when he was reaching for his gun mid-fall. Pain shoots through his body, making his vision blur and his aim shake and there's a high chance this bullet he's going to shoot will miss or worse, hit Seylum. It might kill her to-be assassin. It might kill her. Inaho doesn't have time to calculate trajectories or aim at the target's head. His intellect cannot help him in a split-second moment.

Once he takes the shot, it will be all or nothing.

Even then, for the first time in his life, Inaho is going to take chances.

He fires.

Suddenly, it is as if he's watching a movie in slow motion. He sees the bullet leave his gun in a brilliant flash. He sees the soldier running towards Seylum with tears in the corner of his sky-blue eyes. He sees the bullet tearing through the air, missing the blond young man's right shoulder by a hair's breadth – and heading straight for Seylum. And Inaho thinks he really should stop fighting on instincts, because it's really not meant for him and this is the proof, he should stick to strategies after all.

But that's all for later - if he can get out of this alive. First, he has to pay the price for his stupid, on-the-spot decision to pull the trigger - and possibly kill the only way Earth has left to stop this mindless war. The bullet won't be charmed to a halt, nor will a miracle stop it. Seylum will die, and for all his big talk and arrogant attitude he will be the one to start this war after all.

The bullet hits its target with a sickening wet thud; a body flies backwards after the impact, and that's the only thing Inaho remembers before his vision gives out.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I NEED CLOSURE ANY FORM OF CLOSURE UGH I KNOW I JUST UPLOADED THE 1ST CHAPTER 3 WEEKS AGO BUT I NEED THIS SO MUCH I NEED AN AU WHERE EVERYTHING CAN BE OKAY (well you're dealing with me I don't do happy ends) SDKFHASDFHAS PLEASE LET THERE BE A PRISON BREAK SS3 AND ORANGEBAT I DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT ASSEYLUM ANYMORE HELP-
> 
> Ahhh ;;_;; someone save me from this pain HE SHOULD HAVE DIED HE SHOULD HAVE JUST DIED AAAAAA


	3. Towards the Frontline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sheesh, it's taking me ages to write a chapter these days. Between Touken, Fire Emblem, osu! and college stuff, I'm surprised I even managed to open MS Word these days. By which I mean updates are gonna be...idk, once in a few months. Summer vacation, contrary to expectations, doesn't really help. We have this thing called graduation exam in freaking July, and...yeah. Everyone hates it, but what can you do? 
> 
> Ooops, I'm babbling again...so, here's the new chapter, in which you'll finally know who gets shot (by which I mean I do not want any more messages about it) and I hope you enjoy!

_Even if you're in a daze, just keep running through_   
_Don't worry about how it seems,_   
_entrust your body to the impulse._

Setsuna Drive – IA

* * *

Frankly, today hasn't been one of Slaine's worst days, but it's getting there.

It started with searching for the vehicle that Princess Asseylum was on. Thankfully, that truck is the only one moving around the city – together with the two bright orange Terran Kataphrakts - which makes trailing it a lot easier. But really, at the moment Slaine doesn't care about tracking her. He's too busy fretting about what to tell her once he got there.

_Trillram wanted to assassinate you, so I killed him and put your safety before following the Count's orders._ That's the truth, and he really should tell her the truth outright. But then she'll know Slaine killed someone – for her sake, but it doesn't matter. The Princess would feel guilty and depressed, kind-hearted as she is. She definitely won't approve.

But then, telling a white lie to protect her conscience feels like betraying her. She has a right to know. Or does she? Doesn't she? Should she find out or is she better off knowing? Will she know in the future? How will she feel when she does? Will she hate him? Will she order his death? Now, won't that be ironic? The person who saved Slaine's life will be the one to end it. And the princess will cry and cry because in the end she can't watch his execution when she was the one to order it –

_Calm down, Slaine Troyard. Stop overreacting. It's too early to think of execution and consequences at this point. Your priority is to find her._

Right. He has to protect the princess first before anything. But what if –

_No, no, you idiot! Do_ not _think about execution at this time! Just focus on getting to the princess!_

…If he can find a therapist left on Earth, Slaine really should get his mental stability checked out. Talking to himself is one thing; what's next? Going on a rampage and shooting everyone in sight? Considering the case with Trillram, the possibility is not that far off. He should stay away from guns in a while. Slaine isn't really sure he can trust himself by this point.

Speaking of guns, aside from the one on Trillram's person, he found a hunting knife, a nail file (?), and another gun on the Nilokeras. Thank god the Terrans left the Nilokeras behind, although Slaine can't guess why. They probably don't have the technology to repair it, but can't the Princess do something? She has Aldnoah at her disposal, after all. He doesn't understand why they wouldn't just have her activate the Drive and send someone to reclaim their land back. It's like they're operating on entirely different wavelengths.

…He can think about that later. For now, just don't think of anything, block out all distractions and follow the –

Wait.

The truck carrying the princess…it's gone…!?

Where? Where is it?

He's only been distracted for a few minutes – where could it have gone so quickly? Do they know he's onto them? No, he's been flying too high for them to see…but it doesn't matter! Slaine has to find that vehicle fast or he'll lose the Princess' tracks all over again. And this time, if he fails to protect her one more time…

_DON'T THINK ABOUT IT!_

_Don't think about it! Don't think, don't think anything at all, just focus, don't do anything!_

R-Right.

Don't think. Don't think about anything.

Find the Princess.

The sun is setting. Time is running out.

Find her at all costs.

These buildings are in the way. He can't find the princess this way. He's going to lose her again. He can't afford that.

They have to go. A missile will destroy them all.

_Get out of my way –_

The Princess.

She won't want him to ruin her beloved Earth.

The Princess. If he disobeys her orders right now, if his actions right now would disappoint her, then he might as well die here.

_Remove your finger from the trigger. Slowly. Don't do anything. Calm down. Don't think. Focus. Remember who you're fighting for. To hell with the consequences._

Focus.

Princess Asseylum…

* * *

Slaine thinks that orange Kataphrakt saw him.

Of course, it's nigh impossible. The sky is dark enough that Slaine can fire and escape without being seen, and any other person will mistake that missile to be from the battleship below him. But judging from the way that orange Kat looks around wildly, searching for anything but that ship, he knows its pilot is on to him. He has to be more careful from now on.

Either way, this is as far as Slaine is going to help the Terrans. Unless the Princess is clearly in some kind of danger, he won't interfere anymore. Besides, it still unnerves him somewhat, to fire a missile at one of the Martian Kataphrakts. It still feels like a betrayal.

No matter. The fight ended in a tie. The Martian Kataphrakt is retreating. Maybe Slaine can use the time the Terrans are distracted to slip past the guards and find the Princess. He can deal with everything else later. He can park the Sky Carrier somewhere behind the mountain of cardboard boxes, rescue the Princess and fly back to Mars to inform everyone that she is safe. The war will stop. It is that simple.

…Except it's not.

Someone is coming.

Those footsteps are too heavy to be the Princess'. A Terran soldier, then. Maybe Slaine can overpower that person and steal their battle gear to disguise himself. It would certainly make rescuing the Princess far easier.

Five seconds until that soldier rounds the corner. Four. Three. Two. One.

_Don't think. Follow your instincts. Trust what your intuition tells you. It's the only way you can save the Princess._

The soldier turns out to be a teenage boy his age. And judging from that voice he heard in the battle with the Nilokeras…it's the pilot of that orange Kataphrakt.

Very well. It makes his job far easier. This person knows where the princess is already. Slaine can easily find her from there.

"I believe she was executed yesterday." The dark-haired boy tries to play dumb. Slaine doesn't buy it for a second.

They dance around each other's questions, gauging the other's reaction as best they can in the washed-away orange sunset light. No one is willing to compromise. No one is willing to give a straight answer. Orange is darting his eyes around, trying to find some way to escape. Slaine is keeping his hand firmly on the latter's neck and probably choking him.

…They really should hurry. He doesn't have much time before this guy's friends get suspicious and check on them.

"Are you planning to kill her?" Orange asks.

"What!? No!" Slaine recoils on reflex and realizes his mistake a second too late. Orange is about to turn the situation on him. They both tense up, waiting for a moment to attack –

"Inaho-san? Inaho-san, where are you?"

That voice.

Her voice.

…

He can't move. He can't even see if Orange has made a counterattack or not. He doesn't care.

He doesn't know anything anymore. It feels like everything faded into white noise the moment she spoke, buzzing in his ears and blinding him from every rational thought running through his mind.

Nothing matters anymore but that voice.

_Her Highness Princess Asseylum._

_You're alive._

_Thank god…_

_So it's true. I wasn't hallucinating after all._

_I thought I was going insane. I thought I'd finally lost it. The voices in my head didn't exactly help._

_But against all odds, you're alive. By some miracle, you're here, right in front of me._

… _But miracles don't happen twice. If it did, it couldn't be called a 'miracle' anymore. I won't take chances. I will protect you this time. No matter who tries to stop me._

"Princess Asseylum…" He whispers, almost in a trance. "Princess…is it really…"

"That voice…Slaine?" From here, he can see her beautiful green eyes looking at him closely and widening in surprise. "It's really you. What are you doing –"

" _Princess!_ "

At that moment, several things happen at once.

The princess is here. He doesn't need Orange anymore. He can just take her to the Sky Carrier and fly away without a moment's delay. And then she'll be back to their homeland Mars, where no one, absolutely _no one_ , Slaine included, will ever let her come back to Earth again. Even if she cries and throws a tantrum. Even if she orders them to let her go. Better her alive and hating him for the rest of her life than dead.

And with that thought, he runs towards her, throwing Orange aside - his second mistake. In that split second of flying in midair, Orange has managed to reach his holster and take out his gun in a desperate attempt to counterattack.

Slaine's mind immediately goes to overdrive mode.

_Momentum. Gravity is not in my favor._

_I'm running towards the Princess. My body will snap in half if I turn around to disarm him._

_He's going to shoot._

_Who? Me, or the Princess?_

_Does it matter?_

_Anyone who points a gun towards the Princess…_

_I'll kill them._

The world slows down for an instant.

The bullet leaves the barrel of the gun with a brilliant flash.

The shooter's aim is sloppy, and no matter how talented he may be, he can't shoot in midair. It's going to miss him, for sure.

But once that bullet misses him…where will it go?

The Princess. It might hit her. It might hit her maid. It might miss completely. He has no way of knowing; but he's not going to take chances. Never again.

_Don't think. Focus on what's important._

_Do what's natural to you._

_What is it you want to do?_

_Protect the Princess._

_Then…_

_Run!_

With one last step, Slaine reaches the Princess and tackles her to the side. The next thing he knows, pain blossoms from his right arm and spreads through his body.

His vision is tinged with red. He can't think. He can't move. He can't do anything.

The Princess.

Where is the Princess?

Was she hurt?

Did he manage to protect her?

"Slaine!" Princess Asseylum screams and runs to his side, tears prickling at the corner of her beautiful eyes. Despite the pain, the blurry vision and increasing numbness in his arms, Slaine smiles for the first time in weeks.

Finally, he was of use to her. He protected her from that Terran's bullet.

What a blessing…to be able to see her face again, to feel her warmth, and…knowing that she's alive and well. Thank god…

"Slaine!? Slaine!" The princess' desperate, quivering voice, calling his name over and over again, is the last thing he hears before pain takes over his consciousness.

* * *

He wakes up to a pure white ceiling and the constant beeping of a monitor.

"Oh, hi," to his left, a young woman's voice asks. "You've woken up?"

Slaine doesn't answer her; not yet. He takes a cursory glance around just to gauge what's going on here. Someone has taken the trouble to change him out of his normal military outfit and into what looks like a school uniform. The sleeve is rolled up, revealing his pale, still bruised arm (Slaine wonders if he can make those bruises look like an accident) with three IV drips taped to it. And he doesn't even need to look down to his shoulder to know that it's been bandaged and they probably have him drugged on painkillers – and even then it still hurts so much he feels like tearing up.

Slaine tries to move his fingers. Nothing happens. At least he has the anesthesia part right.

"Um, hello?" The young woman asks again, more hesitantly, when Slaine doesn't answer. "This is bad…can you hear me, uh…"

"…Slaine." And it makes him cringe to hear his voice so ragged and weak; how long has he been here anyway? And Slaine desperately needs a glass of water for his parched throat but his body feels like dead meat and it's frustrating. "My name…"

"Oh, so you can talk! For a moment I was worried Dr. Yagarai overdosed you on anesthesia…" She lets out a sigh of relief. "Okay, Slaine. How do you feel?"

"I can't move…" Slaine tries to say, but what comes out of his mouth is some sort of gibberish even he can't understand. "Feels numb…"

"Hmm, that's the anesthesia talking. Don't worry, it wears off in around two hours, so you'll be fine. But try not to move that shoulder too much, okay?"

He settles for a weak nod.

"Seriously, though, that Inaho!" No longer paying any heed to him, the young woman grumbles to herself and paces around the small room. "I know it's a war and all, but can he not be overly paranoid for once? Shooting civilians just because they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time…and Seylum-san's cousin, no less! I'm going to give him a serious scolding when he wakes up!"

…Huh?

Seylum? Who?

Might that be the princess?

…Despite himself, Slaine has to wonder why she picked such an obvious false name. Isn't it a moot point to be in disguise when her alias practically throws her true identity away to all who have seen broadcasts of the princess' goodwill visit?

No, he's in no position to question Her Highness' decisions. He can only go along with it.

"Sey…lum…" He manages. Apparently realizing she has an audience, the dark-haired woman promptly turns her attention back to him.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She chirps, which is a little annoying when Slaine's head feels like someone is whacking it with a hammer nonstop. He's going to hurt her feelings if he says that, though, so he keeps his mouth shut. "I guess Inaho's right. My talking really is too loud. I thought it was just him, but I guess…" Her voice trails off and she looks depressing and _really Slaine Troyard you have been here for fifteen minutes and you have already managed to upset someone you idiot –_

That voice is still there, much to his chagrin. Worse, it seems to have taken the tone of that annoying Orange.

"I-It's…fine…" He mutters and hopes his voice doesn't sound like he's going to keel over any second. "Um, where's Her – I-I mean…Sey –"

"Seylum-san? Oh, she's been here all night, but an hour ago Dr. Yagarai told her to go and get some rest. Do you want me to –"

"No! No, just…let her sleep…I…wouldn't want to…trouble her…"

This is horrible. Everything feels numb except for his head and right shoulder, which are both aching so painfully he almost wishes that doctor _had_ overdosed him on anesthesia. Slaine is sure that he would've screamed himself hoarse if not for the numbness preventing him from saying anything above a pained whisper.

It's not as bad as some of Count Cruhteo's hits, probably. But the Count prefers to break him mentally more than physically, and this bullet wound hurts every time he breathes. Slaine wonders if it hit a blood vessel to hurt this much, and how long he's going to stay an invalid if it did.

Damn you, Orange.

"…Okay, if that's what you want." The young woman shrugs. "I'm sorry, I'm being a little rude, aren't I? I'm Kaizuka Yuki, that idiot's sister. Sorry for the trouble he's caused you."

'That idiot', considering her rant just now, she was probably referring to Orange. So he has a sister. Slaine wouldn't even know if she didn't introduce herself; they're nothing alike. The sister is talkative, bright, cheery and caring even to a complete stranger. The brother is calm, collected, bordering on creepy territory.

"Um, it's…it's fine." Slaine tells her, and he feels rather pleased to hear his voice starting to get clearer and less ragged. "It's not your fault…"

"Either way, that kid's got no tact at all! I can't seem to get what he's thinking half the time!" Yuki throws up her arms in exasperation. "I can read him somewhat, but heck if I know what goes through that thick head of his. His eyesight is not even bad – to shoot a civilian of all things! Does he need a robotic eye to see straight or something? Does he think you're an enemy waiting to ambush him? I'm his sister, and I don't even know!"

Honestly, Slaine feels like coming to Orange's defenses. To that guy, he is the enemy, and the right reaction is definitely to gun him down. And though his aim was sloppy, Orange still managed to shoot mid-fall. That is admirable at least. What Slaine can't forgive, however, is risking the Princess' life just to bring someone like him down. Sure, it's petty and probably selfish, but Slaine keeps quiet while Yuki keeps ranting on. What a pathetic kind of passive-aggressive, childish revenge, but he can't resist. Orange totally had it coming.

"Sorry, I must be boring you." Yuki smiles apologetically and runs a hand through her (slightly unkempt, like Orange's) hair. "I guess Inaho's right. I tend to babble too much after all. Well, I'll leave you to rest. If you need anything else, call out and we'll have someone help you, okay?"

"Wait -"

Yuki leaves before Slaine can even muster up the courage to ask her about why she's doing all this.

...That's it? She's just going to treat him, even if he's someone completely unrelated and probably an enemy? She's going to help him even though her brother shot him, and for good reason?

He wonders what he should call this. Idiocy? Naivete? …Kindness?

He isn't sure he remembers what kindness feels like anymore. For five years, the only person willing to be kind to him was Princess Asseylum, and even then she wasn't around. And the rest, well...if they were ever kind, he wouldn't know. They never made an effort to treat him half as decently as these people right now, and Slaine wonders how messed up his life has to be that his enemies are ten times kinder than his allies and he would have defected in a heartbeat were it not for his debt to the princess.

Even then, to be shown kindness at this moment, in the midst of the enemy…it's uncomfortable, and annoying, and it sets off a dozen red flags in his head. Slaine can't help but think they're deceiving him somehow to worm information out of him. Information that, if he isn't careful, can reveal the princess' identity and put her in danger.

...He has to run and take the princess with him while they're distracted. As quickly as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actually, in my fic at least, I like Inaho much better than Slaine (sorry Slaine xD) because the Inaho I created is an apathetic, sarcastic and horribly blunt teenager with a penchant for insane troll logic (meaning he's totally me) and I love him so much xD even my beta loves him. Canon Inaho on the other hand...
> 
> Slaine on the other hand, I honestly don't know what to do with him. I saw ss1 Slaine as this cute traumatized kid who was all instinct and emotions, but in retrospect he has been quite unhinged from the start. Still, sorry if he seems like a psycho sometimes - I have quite a lot of trouble reconciling the two Slaines - and in his defense, quite a lot happened to him in these few chapters. I'll make him kinder in future chapters, but honestly it takes effort to keep him in character. His characterization in the show really is all over the place, gdi.
> 
> Next chapter is Asseylum's POV! And before I get messages about it, I have no reason to diss her - actually, I'm gonna take matters into my own hands and make her (somewhat) more respectable, or at least that's the idea. It depends on whether I mess the execution up like in this chapter...for some reason, I think this one sucks. If you see anything you find iffy, please tell me (tumblr, comments, whatever) and I'll work something out. Thank you so much for reading!


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